Ventilator for mines.



PATENTED FEB. 10, 1903.

1). P, LEPLEY. VENTILATOR FOR MINES.

, APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1901.

K0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 720,264. PATENTED FEBQlO, 1903.

' D. F. LEPLEY.

VENTILATOR FOR MINES,

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1901. N0 MODEL. 1 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL F. LEPLEY, OF OONNELLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

VENTILATOR FO'R MINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,264, dated February10, 1903. Application filed July 25, 1901. Serial No. 69,710. (Nombdei.)

To all whom, it mayboncern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL F. LEPLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Connellsville, in the county of Fayette and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Ventilator forMines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved ventilator for mines adapted for use eitherin forcing a current of air downwardly in a mining-shaft or for actingexhaustively for drawing air upwardly out of a mine-shaft to removeimpure air or gases therefrom; and it consists in the peculiarconstruction and combination of de-' vices hereinafter fully set forthand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsectional view of a mine-ventilator constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same,taken on a plane indicated by the line a. a. of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal longitudinal sectional View of the same, taken on a planeindicated by the line b b of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a revoluble fan or blower 1,which is rotated by a shaft 2, that has its bearings, as at 3, in thesides of a hood 4.v The said hood is here shown as disposed in ahorizontal po tion and as being rectangular in form and is provided atone end, which I will term the outer end, atopposite sides with doors 5,which may be opened or closedat will. A drum 6, which is cylindrical inform is disposed in a vertical position and extends centrally throughthe outer portion of the hood 4. On the inner side of the said drum islocated the lower end of a verticalfiue 7, the same being disposedcentrally in the hood 4. The sides of the drum 6 are provided withintake-open ings 8. Spokes 9 radiate from thatportionof the shaft 2which is disposed between the side walls of the drum, and the saidspokes cross-section, as at 13, to correspond with the curvature of thearms 11. tions of the said blades 13 are disposed at an obtuse anglewith reference to the chord of the said curved portions of said blades,as at 14. It will be observed by reference to the drawings,moreparticularly to Fig. 1 thereof, that the fan or blower is locatedeccentrically in the drum 6 and that one side of the said fan or bloweroperates closely practically in contact with one side of the drum, as at15. The said fan or blower is rotated by means of a power-belt and apulley 16 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, and theconvex faces of the blades of the blower approach the side 15 of thedrum from below. An opening is made in the side 15 of the drum, whichopening communicates with the lower end of the flue 7, as shown, andthe'said opening may be closed by the hinged wing 17 of a valve 18, thelatter forming the bottom of the flue 7. A suitable winch 19 andelevatingcords 20 are employed for closing the Valve 18 and its hingedwing 17, as shown in the solid lines in Fig. 1, or for opening the lowerend of the flue 7 by lowering said valve and its hinged wing to aposition indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l, in which position thevalve 18 is maintained by contact with stops .21 in the sides of a flue22, which leads from the-lower portion of the drum and under the hood toa'minin'g-sha'ft. In the bottom of the hood in rear of the flue 7 is avalve 23. The same may be disposed in a horizontal position toclosecommunication between the said hood and-the said flue 22, as showninfull lines in Fig. 1, or may be lowered to close the flue 22 and opencommunication between the latter and the hood, as indicated in dottedlines in plo'yed to operate the said valve 23. I here show a winch 24and cords 25 for this purpose.

When it is desired to force a blast of air downwardly in the mine-shaft,the doors 5 are opened at the outer end of the hood andthe valves 17,18, and 23 are closed, as shown in Fig. 1. The fan being in motion, airis drawn inwardly thereby through the doors 5 and the intakes 8 andforced from the drum-casing through the flue 22 to the mine-shaft, aswill be understood. When it is desired to exhaust air or gases from themine-shaft, the doors 5 The inner por Fig.f1. Any suitable means may beemare closed and the valves 17, 18, and 23 lowered to close the fiue 22and establish communication between the latter and the hood and fine 7,the hood forming a by-pass to establish communication between the fine22 and the drum 6.

The fan then continuing to revolve in the same direction actsexhaustively, the current being upward from the mine-shaft through aportion of the fine 22 to the valve 23, upwardly from the latter intothe hood, outwardly in the hood to the openings 8, through the latterinto the drum 6, and the action of the fan is such as to force the blastupwardly through the fine 7, the valves 17 18 being dis-' posed in suchposition as to defiect the blast from the fan upwardly into thelowerportion of the said line 7.

Owing to the curved shape of the blades 12 of the fan or blower and thecurved shape of that side of the drum and of the valve 17 which isproximate to one side of the blower the said curved valve 17 operates asa cut-off in coaction with each of the blades 12 in succession as thelatter reach the said valve, and hence the current of air created by therotation of the fan or blower is caused to pass outwardly therefromthrough the fine 22 when the valves are in the position shown in Fig. 1.By thus cutting olf the blast from the fan or blower that portion of thedrum which is proximate to one side of the fan or blower is relieved ofstress and vibration thereof is reduced to the minimum. Furthermore, theopen construction of the frame of the fan or blower hereinbeforedescribed, while reducing the weight thereof, adds greatly to itsstrength, the crossed bars 10 bracing each other, as will be understood.

While I have herein described my ventilator as especially adapted foruse in ventilating mines and for exhausting air and gases therefrom, itwill be understood that my ventilator may be also used for otherpurposes and in other connections, and I therefore do not limit myselfin this particular. Neither do I desire to limit myself to the preciseconstruction or combination of devices hereinbefore shown and described,as it is evident that modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In combination, a drum,a revoluble blower therein, a plurality of intersecting andtangentially-disposed fines connected to said drum, and a common cut-offforming a part of the blower-casing and located at the intersection ofsaid fines to close communication between the drum and either of saidfines.

2. In combination, a drum, a revoluble blower therein, intersectingfines leading tangentially from said drum, a common cut-off located atthe intersection of said flues to close communication between the drumand either of said fines, and a valved by-pass connecting one of saidfines and the intake of said drum.

3. In a ventilator, the combination of a drum, having an air-intake, arevoluble fan or blower in the drum, intersecting flues leadingtangentially from the drum, a common cut-off located at the intersectionof the fines to close communication between the drum and either of thefines at will, a by-pass leading from one of the fines to the air-intakein the drum, said by-pass having an air-inlet and a closure therefor,and a valve to open or cut off communication between the by-pass and thelast-mentioned fine, substantially as described.

4:. In a ventilator, the combination of a drum having air-intakes in itsside walls, a revoluble fan or blower in the drum, intersecting lines 7,22, leading tangentially from the drum, a valve, disposed at theintersection of said fines to close communication between either of themand the drum at will, a hood forming a by-pass between the fine 22 andthe air-intakes of the drum, said hood having air-intake valves, and avalve to open or close communication between the hood and the flue 22,substantially as described.

5. The combination of a drum having an intake, a fine 22 leading fromsaid drum, a revoluble fan or blower mounted eccentrically in one sideof the drum, a flue 7 leading from the latter at the side thereofproximate to said fan or blower, and a valve 18 having a curved hingedwing 17 to open and close communication between said fine 7 and said fanor blower, said valve and said hinged wing 17 thereof when openedserving to close said fine 22, substantially as described.

6. A drum having intersecting fines 7, 22, leading tangentallytherefrom, a common cutoff located at the intersection of said flues toclose communication between the drum and either of said fines, a by-passconnecting one of the fines and the intake of the drum, said by-passhaving an air-opening and a closure therefor, and a valve to open or outofl communication between the by-pass and the flue with which itconnects, in combination with a revoluble fan or blower mountedeccentrically in the drum, and closely approaching the common cut-off,when the latter is in position to close communication between the drumand the fine 7, substantially as described.

7. In a ventilator, the combination of a drum, a fan or blower mountedtherein, intersecting fines leading tangentially from said drum, acommon cut-off located at the intersection of said fines to closecommunication between the drum and either of said flues, a by-passconnecting one of said fines and the intake of said drum, said by-passhaving an air-openingand a closure therefor, and a valve to open or out06 communication between said by-pass and the fine with which itconnects, substantially as described.

8. In a ventilator, the combination of a drum, and a fan or blowermounted therein,

intersecting fines leading tangentially from said drum, a common out-oftlocated at the intersection of said fines to close communication betweenthe drum andeither of said fines, and an air-intake for the drum havingmeans to control communication between the same and one of the fines,substantially as described.

9. In a ventilator, the combination of a drum and a fan or blowermounted therein, intersecting fines leading tangentially from said drum,a common cut-oft located at the intersection of said fines to closecommunication between the drum and either fine, the opening movement ofsaid cut-0E from either of its operative positions being across the pathand opposite thedirection of the blast of the fan, and an air-intake forthe drum, having means to control communication between the same and oneof the flnes,substantially as described. 10. In a ventilator, thecombination of a drum, and a fan or blower mounted therein,

a fine leading tangentially from the drum, a second fine also leadingtangentially from the drum and intersecting the first-named fine, a

DANIEL F. LEPLEY.

Witnesses:

W. H. BROWN, GEO. FUEHow.

